Gettysburg unlocked, step inside the Union General's Headquarters

The National Park Service gave News 8 exclusive access to several buildings on the Gettysburg Battlefield that are normally kept under lock and key.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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This is one of those buildings. The unassuming, two-room home became the site of one of the most important meetings of the Battle of Gettysburg.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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The home is known as Leister house. In 1853, Lydia Leister, a widow, lived here. But it was some unexpected "guests" that secured the home's place in history.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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The Leister House became the improvised headquarters of this man, General George Meade, the top general of the Union troops at Gettysburg.

PHOTO: National Archives

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This is how the Leister House looked in the 1860s around the time of the battle.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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Here's a wider shot of the home, in the days after the 1863 battle. The home is located on Taneytown Road behind Cemetery Ridge.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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Meade and other high-ranking officers set up in the Leister House. Their decisions here shaped the battle.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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A shot of the Leister House and an outbuilding today.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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1863

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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"As the last shots of the (first) day faded that night, a contingent of weary officers rode into the yard of Lydia Leister's home," according to the National Park Service.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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The officers stamped the mud from their boots on the front porch ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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They opened the front door and went inside.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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The two-room house, which has been restored, has a single fireplace. Again, the public is not allowed inside this house. The National Park Service gave News 8 special access.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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Here is a look up the chimney.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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It was in this room, the main living area, that Union General George Meade and other union officers decided to stay and fight at Gettysburg. The decision was the first of many critical ones that would guide the outcome of the Civil War's bloodiest battle and arguably the fate of the Union.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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The room was crowded and candlelit on the evening of July 1, 1863.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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This engraving from the 1880s tried to capture the scene.

PHOTO: US Army Military History Institute

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Along with Meade here were Major General Daniel Butterfield, General John Newton, General John Giboon, General David Birney, General George Sykes, General John Sedgwick, General O.O. Howard, General Alpheus Williams, General Henry Slocum, General Winfield S. Hancock and General G.K. Warren.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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The last of the generals mentioned on the previous page, General Warren, is known as the "savior of Round Top." His last-minute defense is credited with saving that ground. The first day of the battle was an exhausting one for him.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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It is said that as Meade and the officers began their meeting on the evening of the first day of the three-day battle, General Warren laid down on this floor and fell asleep.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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"The discussion at first was very informal and in the shape of conversation, during which each one made comments on the fight and told what he knew of the condition of affairs. In the course of this discussion, Newton expressed the opinion that, 'this was no place to fight a battle in.' General Newton was an officer of engineers and was rated by me, and I suppose by most others, very highly as a soldier. The assertion, therefore, coming from such a source, rather startled me and I eagerly asked what his objections to the position were. The objections he stated ... related to some minor details of the line, of which I knew nothing except so far as my own front was concerned. But the prevailing impression seemed to be that the place for the battle had been in a measure selected for us. Here we are; now what is the best thing to do?"

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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After the discussion, General Butterfield suggested that the question be formally asked to the members of the council. The questions were: Should the army remain in Gettysburg or move to a better position; Should the army wait for Lee to attack; If not, how long should they wait before striking Lee.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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The officers voted. Nearly all of them agreed to stay and bolster their positions. This is a shot at the union defenses on Culp's Hill, which is about a mile to northeast of the Leister House.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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The last general to have weighed in, Henry Slocum, is said to have put it most concisely -- "Stay and fight it out!"

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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The junior general in the room, John Gibbon, recorded the following recollection of what occurred inside the Leister House ...

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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The generals also agreed to wait for Lee to attack before moving against him.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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Here is a shot of the ceiling in the "decision room."

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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This is a look into the other room at the Leister House. The lone bedroom.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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A wash basin sits beneath the window. The basin would have to be filled with water since there was no plumbing in the little home.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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There is one bed in the room.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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This is a look out the bedroom window.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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There is one more area to see inside the Leister House.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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It is beyond this door.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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A tiny flight of stairs heads up.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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Here is a look under the staircase.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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It's a tight fit up the little flight of stairs.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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At the top you find ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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... the Leister House attic.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Advertisement

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While the home is historic it is now fitted with some modern features, such as this fire suppression system. Other historic homes on the battlefield are fitted with similar systems.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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Here is the chimney in the attic.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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This is the underside of the Leister House roof.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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But there is more to the Leister House than just wood, stone and mortar. It was the place of a prescient insight by General Meade. Before leaving the house, Meade had some final advice for ...

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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... General Gibbon.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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Gibbon would later write what Meade told him: "Before I left the house Meade made a remark to me which surprised me a good deal, especially when I look back upon the occurrence of the next day. By a reference to the votes in the council... the majority of the members were in favor of acting on the defensive and awaiting the action of Lee. In referring to the matter, just as the council broke up, Meade said to me, 'If Lee attacks to-morrow, it will be on your front.' I asked why he thought so and he replied, 'Because he has made attacks on both our flanks and failed, and if he concludes to try it again it will be on our center.' I expressed the hope that he would, and told General Meade, with confidence, that if he did we would defeat him."

PHOTO: Library of Congress

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And the general walked out this front door to continue the fight.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Advertisement

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Meade likely touched handle before leaving. And what he told Gibbon before he left the Leister House proved prophetic. Gen. Lee did attack Gibbon's position. It became known as the greatest charge of the Civil War -- Pickett's Charge. The Union withstood and the battle was won ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

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And it was in this simple, two-room, wood-frame farmhouse that some of the most critical decisions of the most critical battle of the Civil War were made. News 8 would like to thank the National Park Service for giving us access to the Leister House.

The National Park Service gave News 8 exclusive access to several buildings on the Gettysburg Battlefield that are normally kept under lock and key.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is one of those buildings. The unassuming, two-room home became the site of one of the most important meetings of the Battle of Gettysburg.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The home is known as Leister house. In 1853, Lydia Leister, a widow, lived here. But it was some unexpected "guests" that secured the home's place in history.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The Leister House became the improvised headquarters of this man, General George Meade, the top general of the Union troops at Gettysburg.

PHOTO: National Archives

This is how the Leister House looked in the 1860s around the time of the battle.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

Here's a wider shot of the home, in the days after the 1863 battle. The home is located on Taneytown Road behind Cemetery Ridge.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

Meade and other high-ranking officers set up in the Leister House. Their decisions here shaped the battle.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

A shot of the Leister House and an outbuilding today.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

1863

PHOTO: Library of Congress

"As the last shots of the (first) day faded that night, a contingent of weary officers rode into the yard of Lydia Leister's home," according to the National Park Service.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The officers stamped the mud from their boots on the front porch ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

They opened the front door and went inside.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The two-room house, which has been restored, has a single fireplace. Again, the public is not allowed inside this house. The National Park Service gave News 8 special access.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is a look up the chimney.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

It was in this room, the main living area, that Union General George Meade and other union officers decided to stay and fight at Gettysburg. The decision was the first of many critical ones that would guide the outcome of the Civil War's bloodiest battle and arguably the fate of the Union.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The room was crowded and candlelit on the evening of July 1, 1863.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This engraving from the 1880s tried to capture the scene.

PHOTO: US Army Military History Institute

Along with Meade here were Major General Daniel Butterfield, General John Newton, General John Giboon, General David Birney, General George Sykes, General John Sedgwick, General O.O. Howard, General Alpheus Williams, General Henry Slocum, General Winfield S. Hancock and General G.K. Warren.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The last of the generals mentioned on the previous page, General Warren, is known as the "savior of Round Top." His last-minute defense is credited with saving that ground. The first day of the battle was an exhausting one for him.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

It is said that as Meade and the officers began their meeting on the evening of the first day of the three-day battle, General Warren laid down on this floor and fell asleep.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

"The discussion at first was very informal and in the shape of conversation, during which each one made comments on the fight and told what he knew of the condition of affairs. In the course of this discussion, Newton expressed the opinion that, 'this was no place to fight a battle in.' General Newton was an officer of engineers and was rated by me, and I suppose by most others, very highly as a soldier. The assertion, therefore, coming from such a source, rather startled me and I eagerly asked what his objections to the position were. The objections he stated ... related to some minor details of the line, of which I knew nothing except so far as my own front was concerned. But the prevailing impression seemed to be that the place for the battle had been in a measure selected for us. Here we are; now what is the best thing to do?"

PHOTO: Library of Congress

After the discussion, General Butterfield suggested that the question be formally asked to the members of the council. The questions were: Should the army remain in Gettysburg or move to a better position; Should the army wait for Lee to attack; If not, how long should they wait before striking Lee.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The officers voted. Nearly all of them agreed to stay and bolster their positions. This is a shot at the union defenses on Culp's Hill, which is about a mile to northeast of the Leister House.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The last general to have weighed in, Henry Slocum, is said to have put it most concisely -- "Stay and fight it out!"

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The junior general in the room, John Gibbon, recorded the following recollection of what occurred inside the Leister House ...

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The generals also agreed to wait for Lee to attack before moving against him.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is a shot of the ceiling in the "decision room."

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is a look into the other room at the Leister House. The lone bedroom.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

A wash basin sits beneath the window. The basin would have to be filled with water since there was no plumbing in the little home.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

There is one bed in the room.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is a look out the bedroom window.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

There is one more area to see inside the Leister House.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

It is beyond this door.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

A tiny flight of stairs heads up.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is a look under the staircase.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

It's a tight fit up the little flight of stairs.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

At the top you find ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

... the Leister House attic.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

While the home is historic it is now fitted with some modern features, such as this fire suppression system. Other historic homes on the battlefield are fitted with similar systems.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is the chimney in the attic.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is the underside of the Leister House roof.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

But there is more to the Leister House than just wood, stone and mortar. It was the place of a prescient insight by General Meade. Before leaving the house, Meade had some final advice for ...

PHOTO: Library of Congress

... General Gibbon.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

Gibbon would later write what Meade told him: "Before I left the house Meade made a remark to me which surprised me a good deal, especially when I look back upon the occurrence of the next day. By a reference to the votes in the council... the majority of the members were in favor of acting on the defensive and awaiting the action of Lee. In referring to the matter, just as the council broke up, Meade said to me, 'If Lee attacks to-morrow, it will be on your front.' I asked why he thought so and he replied, 'Because he has made attacks on both our flanks and failed, and if he concludes to try it again it will be on our center.' I expressed the hope that he would, and told General Meade, with confidence, that if he did we would defeat him."

PHOTO: Library of Congress

And the general walked out this front door to continue the fight.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Meade likely touched handle before leaving. And what he told Gibbon before he left the Leister House proved prophetic. Gen. Lee did attack Gibbon's position. It became known as the greatest charge of the Civil War -- Pickett's Charge. The Union withstood and the battle was won ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

And it was in this simple, two-room, wood-frame farmhouse that some of the most critical decisions of the most critical battle of the Civil War were made. News 8 would like to thank the National Park Service for giving us access to the Leister House.

The National Park Service gave News 8 exclusive access to several buildings on the Gettysburg Battlefield that are normally kept under lock and key.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is one of those buildings. The unassuming, two-room home became the site of one of the most important meetings of the Battle of Gettysburg.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The home is known as Leister house. In 1853, Lydia Leister, a widow, lived here. But it was some unexpected "guests" that secured the home's place in history.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The Leister House became the improvised headquarters of this man, General George Meade, the top general of the Union troops at Gettysburg.

PHOTO: National Archives

This is how the Leister House looked in the 1860s around the time of the battle.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

Here's a wider shot of the home, in the days after the 1863 battle. The home is located on Taneytown Road behind Cemetery Ridge.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

Meade and other high-ranking officers set up in the Leister House. Their decisions here shaped the battle.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

A shot of the Leister House and an outbuilding today.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

1863

PHOTO: Library of Congress

"As the last shots of the (first) day faded that night, a contingent of weary officers rode into the yard of Lydia Leister's home," according to the National Park Service.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The officers stamped the mud from their boots on the front porch ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

They opened the front door and went inside.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The two-room house, which has been restored, has a single fireplace. Again, the public is not allowed inside this house. The National Park Service gave News 8 special access.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is a look up the chimney.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

It was in this room, the main living area, that Union General George Meade and other union officers decided to stay and fight at Gettysburg. The decision was the first of many critical ones that would guide the outcome of the Civil War's bloodiest battle and arguably the fate of the Union.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The room was crowded and candlelit on the evening of July 1, 1863.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This engraving from the 1880s tried to capture the scene.

PHOTO: US Army Military History Institute

Along with Meade here were Major General Daniel Butterfield, General John Newton, General John Giboon, General David Birney, General George Sykes, General John Sedgwick, General O.O. Howard, General Alpheus Williams, General Henry Slocum, General Winfield S. Hancock and General G.K. Warren.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

The last of the generals mentioned on the previous page, General Warren, is known as the "savior of Round Top." His last-minute defense is credited with saving that ground. The first day of the battle was an exhausting one for him.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

It is said that as Meade and the officers began their meeting on the evening of the first day of the three-day battle, General Warren laid down on this floor and fell asleep.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

"The discussion at first was very informal and in the shape of conversation, during which each one made comments on the fight and told what he knew of the condition of affairs. In the course of this discussion, Newton expressed the opinion that, 'this was no place to fight a battle in.' General Newton was an officer of engineers and was rated by me, and I suppose by most others, very highly as a soldier. The assertion, therefore, coming from such a source, rather startled me and I eagerly asked what his objections to the position were. The objections he stated ... related to some minor details of the line, of which I knew nothing except so far as my own front was concerned. But the prevailing impression seemed to be that the place for the battle had been in a measure selected for us. Here we are; now what is the best thing to do?"

PHOTO: Library of Congress

After the discussion, General Butterfield suggested that the question be formally asked to the members of the council. The questions were: Should the army remain in Gettysburg or move to a better position; Should the army wait for Lee to attack; If not, how long should they wait before striking Lee.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The officers voted. Nearly all of them agreed to stay and bolster their positions. This is a shot at the union defenses on Culp's Hill, which is about a mile to northeast of the Leister House.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The last general to have weighed in, Henry Slocum, is said to have put it most concisely -- "Stay and fight it out!"

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The junior general in the room, John Gibbon, recorded the following recollection of what occurred inside the Leister House ...

PHOTO: Library of Congress

The generals also agreed to wait for Lee to attack before moving against him.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is a shot of the ceiling in the "decision room."

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is a look into the other room at the Leister House. The lone bedroom.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

A wash basin sits beneath the window. The basin would have to be filled with water since there was no plumbing in the little home.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

There is one bed in the room.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is a look out the bedroom window.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

There is one more area to see inside the Leister House.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

It is beyond this door.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

A tiny flight of stairs heads up.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is a look under the staircase.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

It's a tight fit up the little flight of stairs.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

At the top you find ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

... the Leister House attic.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

While the home is historic it is now fitted with some modern features, such as this fire suppression system. Other historic homes on the battlefield are fitted with similar systems.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Here is the chimney in the attic.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

This is the underside of the Leister House roof.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

But there is more to the Leister House than just wood, stone and mortar. It was the place of a prescient insight by General Meade. Before leaving the house, Meade had some final advice for ...

PHOTO: Library of Congress

... General Gibbon.

PHOTO: Library of Congress

Gibbon would later write what Meade told him: "Before I left the house Meade made a remark to me which surprised me a good deal, especially when I look back upon the occurrence of the next day. By a reference to the votes in the council... the majority of the members were in favor of acting on the defensive and awaiting the action of Lee. In referring to the matter, just as the council broke up, Meade said to me, 'If Lee attacks to-morrow, it will be on your front.' I asked why he thought so and he replied, 'Because he has made attacks on both our flanks and failed, and if he concludes to try it again it will be on our center.' I expressed the hope that he would, and told General Meade, with confidence, that if he did we would defeat him."

PHOTO: Library of Congress

And the general walked out this front door to continue the fight.

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

Meade likely touched handle before leaving. And what he told Gibbon before he left the Leister House proved prophetic. Gen. Lee did attack Gibbon's position. It became known as the greatest charge of the Civil War -- Pickett's Charge. The Union withstood and the battle was won ...

PHOTO: Steve Dubransky

And it was in this simple, two-room, wood-frame farmhouse that some of the most critical decisions of the most critical battle of the Civil War were made. News 8 would like to thank the National Park Service for giving us access to the Leister House.